Reclining-chair



(No Model.)

J. REIGH.

REGLINING CHAIR. No. 246,556. Patented Aug. 30,1881.

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@itmsm N. PEYERS. P'mwlithngnphur. Washin ton. D. C.

tJNi'rEn STATES PATENT OFFICE;

JOHN REIGH, OF PHILADELPHIA PENNSYLVANIA.

RECLlNlNG-CHAIR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 246,556, dated August 30, 1881.

Application filed April '7, 1881. (N0 model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN REICH, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Reclining Chairs, which improvement is fully set forth in the following specification and accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a vertical section of the chair embodying my invention in line a; 00, Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a bottom view thereof.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the two figures.

This invention relates to reclining-chairs; and it consists in certain devices for raising and lowering the same and locking in raised or lowered positions, substantially as hereinafter set forth.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the back of the chair, and B the arm-rests, O the side pieces, D the'legs, and E the legend foot support, of the same. The back is hinged or pivoted to the side pieces. Each arm-rest is formed of two pieces pivoted to each other, one being pivoted to the side piece and the other to the back. The support E is hinged or pivoted at its upper end to a piece,E, which is hinged or pivoted to a cross-piece, a, secured to the side pieces, 0, at the front of the seat.

F represents curved ratchets, which, projecting forward under the seat and guided in eyes I), connected to the side pieces, (J, are pivoted to the bottom of the sides of the back A, and to their front ends are pivoted gravitating teeth or pawls G, which extend under the seat and engage with segmental ratchets H, pivoted to the inner sides of the pieces 0.

To the ratchets H are pivoted curved arms J, which are pivoted to a sliding frame, K, which is connected to the support E by having its sides fitted in grooves of the frame of said support, on the under side of the same.

To the cross-piece d, atthe rear of the seat, is pivoted a rod, e, the ends of which have formed or secured to them pawls L, which engage with the curved ratchets F, and rigidly connected to one end of said rod 6 is a lever or handle, M, which projects above the side piece, and is conveniently accessible at the side of the upholstery of the seat of the chair. The pawls L are held in contact with the ratchets F by means of a spring, N, which is secured to the side piece, G, and bears against the handle or lever M, and the teeth or pawls G rest on springs P, connected to the top of the legs D.

The operation is as follows: The lever M is pressed down, thus raising the pawls L from the ratchets F, and the back A may then be inclined rearward. The ratchets F are pressed forward and move the connected pawls G, whereby the latter engage with teeth of the segmental ratchets H and rotate said ratchets, so that by means of the curved armsJ theleg and foot support E is raised, as shown in Fig. 1. By still further inclining the back A the supportE is raised to a corresponding extent, and when theproper inclination is attained the lever M is let go, and the pawls L lock the ratchets and preventfurtherinclination of the chair. The restoration of the chair to its normal position is accomplished by moving the back A to the front, the segmental ratchets H rotating in reverse order and allowing the lowering ot' the support E, the frame K freely sliding on the support E with the motions of the latter.

When it is desired to raise the supportE to a greater extent than is accomplished by the rearward movement of the back A said support is raised, the teeth of the ratchets H riding freely over the pawls G, which, resting on the springs P, readily permit such movement, and when the proper heightis obtained the pawls G hold the ratchets H, and the support is thereby sustained. Bya slight forward move ment of the back A, the lever M being properly depressed, the pawls G are partly withdrawn from the en gagin g-teeth of the ratchets H. The support E is then quickly thrown up by'hand a short distance, and the pan-ls G, owing to gravitation, sufficiently clear themselves of the ratchets H to permit the latter to rotate withoutbeing-controlled by the pawls, and the support E is allowed to fall and so assume its normal upright position. The support may now be folded under the seat, the ratchets H rotating to a greater extent, the sliding frame moving to the lower end of the support E, and the hinged piece E permitting the support to assume a horizontal position, the parts as now disposed being shown by the dotted lines, Fig. 1. In order to hold the support in the position indicated, a latch, Q, is provided, and, being pivoted to the cross-piece d, is so arranged as to be moved under the support. When the support is released of the latch it may be moved down and out to an upright position, the ratchets H again presenting their teeth so that they may be engaged by the pawls G.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. The back A and ratchets F, with connected pawls G,iu combination with the segmental 

